There were a lot of remarkable performances on television in 2017. And that's great, but it also creates a little problem: A lot of actors are nominated for Emmys in the same categories as their costars, who are, when you really think about it, coworkers.

This makes the competition even more intense, since it becomes a question of who was better on the same show.

With amazing performances from the casts of "Big Little Lies," "The Night Of," "The Handmaid's Tale," "Saturday Night Live," "Feud: Bette and Joan," and more, these are all the actors competing with their costars for an Emmy this year. 

The 69th annual Primetime Emmy Awards, hosted by Stephen Colbert, air live on CBS on Sunday from the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles. And here's how to stream them.

SEE ALSO: Here are the biggest Emmy snubs of 2017 — from Justin Theroux to Winona Ryder

Lead Actor in a Drama Series

Sterling K. Brown, "This Is Us"

Milo Ventimiglia, "This Is Us"

The most successful actors in Hollywood history have combined talent, versatility, and longevity to appear in hit after hit.  

Tom Hanks, for instance — the 3rd highest-earning actor in the history of the U.S. box office — has all three qualities in spades.

We turned to Box Office Mojo to rank the top 20 actors of all-time by their total career hauls at the U.S. box office.

Most are well-known, like Hanks and Scarlett Johansson, while others, like the "Star Wars" C-3PO actor Anthony Daniels, are not, though their careers speak for themselves.

Check out the actors with the top U.S. box-office grosses of all time:

SEE ALSO: The 50 best-selling music artists of all time

20. Stellan Skarsgard — $3.175 billion

Highest grossing film: "The Avengers" ($623.4 million)

19. Bruce Willis — $3.189 billion

Highest grossing film: "The Sixth Sense" ($293.5 million)

18. Will Smith — $3.205 billion

Highest grossing film: "Suicide Squad" ($325.1 million)

The Emmys air on Sunday night.

There were so many great performances this year on so many great shows that among the nominees, it's difficult to decide who should win. 

But it's easier to figure out who will win, based on precedent and overall buzz.

For example, "The Handmaid's Tale" is a a critic favorite in the outstanding drama, outstanding lead actress, and outstanding supporting actress categories, but it will likely lose to NBC's massive commercial and critical hit, "This Is Us."

We put together a list of our Emmy predictions, along with who we think should win. So if you're excited to see the best contenders among all the nominees this year, look no further. 

Sign up for Business Insider's newsletter: What you need to know every day delivered right to your inbox. 

Here's our list of who will win the Emmys, and who should:

SEE ALSO: Here are the biggest Emmy snubs of 2017 — from Justin Theroux to Winona Ryder

DRAMA SERIES

THE NOMINEES:

"Better Call Saul"

"The Crown"

"The Handmaid's Tale"

"House of Cards"

"Stranger Things"

"This Is Us"

"Westworld"

WILL WIN: "This Is Us"

SHOULD WIN: "The Handmaid's Tale"

"The Handmaid's Tale" is relevant, impeccably acted, and visionary, from the directing to the costumes to the music. Despite its upsetting setting, the show finds some humor and light in the darkness. This well-made modern interpretation of the classic novel shows how book adaptations work in the television format. It's also completely changed the game in proving that Hulu is some serious competition for Netflix, Amazon, and all the networks now. 

Britney Spears spends a boatload on her pups, and she's not the only one.

Britney Spears' conservatorship's financial documents for 2016 surfaced recently, revealing that the star spent $29,852 on her dogs this past year, according to TMZ.

Spending close to 30 grand on your dogs may seem excessive to the average dog owner. But, when it comes to celebrities, Spears' pet spending isn't the highest on the spectrum.

Celebrities have gone above and beyond for their pets, providing them with their own personal masseuses, and leaving $30 million to them in their wills.

Here are all of the celebrities who love to spend big on their pets:

SEE ALSO: The 'Rich Dogs of Instagram' are living the dream

SEE ALSO: Britney Spears reportedly spent close to $11 million of the $16 million she earned in 2016

Jennifer Aniston

Before his passing in 2011, Aniston's dog Norman was treated to his own supply of organic diet food and a personal masseuse, according to Us Weekly. 

While the cost of Norman's masseuse and gourmet dog food are unknown, it's safe to say no expense was spared when it came to this pup.

Lady Gaga

Lady Gaga reportedly spent $60,000 on 27 Koi fish imported from Japan, according to HuffPost.

Mariah Carey

According to Page Six, Carey spent $45,000 a year on spa treatments for her two Jack Russells — Cha Cha and Jill E. Beans — back in 2016.

Carey has even flown her pups first class to LA, costing the singer over $2,000 per dog.

Following the incredible opening weekend at the box office for "It" — the adaptation of the classic Stephen King book which took in over $123.4 million last weekend (the biggest opening ever for the month of September) — everyone can't wait for the sequel to get here.

And though Warner Bros. hasn't officially pulled the trigger on a sequel (at least publicly), it's a foregone conclusion that it's going to happen That's especially true since at the end of the movie, the "It" title comes up on the screen, followed by "Chapter One."

Always intended to be two movies, the first looks at the Losers Club as kids when they first encounter Pennywise. The second will then jump to present day when the losers are adults and must return to Derry to take on Pennywise one last time. This mirrors the structure King did with the book. 

"It" director Andres Muschietti revealed some plans he has for the sequel to Entertainment Weekly.

Below is everything we know that will happen in the sequel:

Warning: Spoilers coming!

SEE ALSO: 15 things Netflix's "Stranger Things" took from Stephen King's "It"

We'll still see the kid version of The Losers Club.

Despite the movie taking place 27 years after the events in the first "It" movie, Muschietti said there will be a place for the younger version of the losers as they will appear in flashbacks. 

This will continue on one of the best elements of the first movie: the wickedly fun interactions between all the friends. But also flashing back brings more depth and understanding in the internal fears each loser still struggles with as an adult.

Will the adult losers be known actors or unknowns?

Almost instantly people took to social media after seeing "It" to throw out names of actors who could play the adult version of the Losers Club (Jessica Chastain as the fiery Bev? Chris Pratt as the once chubby Ben?). And though Muschietti admits he and his producers have been thinking about what do to since filming wrapped on the movie, there's still no official decision on how they will handle the casting.

The 1990 "It" TV movie was prominently made up of character actors (John Ritter was the only recognizable name), but times have changed, and with the success of the first movie there may be pressure to get at least a few stars in the club.

The one who stays in Derry becomes a librarian junkie.

One knock on "It" is Mike doesn't get a lot of screen time compared to the other losers. But that will likely change in Chapter Two.

Mike is the one member who doesn't leave Derry. He stays to watch for the return of Pennywise while working as a librarian, and staying behind, he ends up taking the brunt of Pennywise's powers.

“My idea of Mike in the second movie is quite darker from the book,” Muschietti told EW. “I want to make his character the one pivotal character who brings them all together, but staying in Derry took a toll with him. I want him to be a junkie actually. A librarian junkie. When the second movie starts, he’s a wreck.”

Mike will also take part in a ritual that will bring him better understanding of the origins of the alien behind the Pennywise clown, and how the defeat it for good. This is a portion of the book that was cut out of the first movie, but will certainly be of importance in the sequel. 

• People are abandoning cable TV faster than previously thought, and that's having a negative effect on TV ad spending.
• According to eMarketer's latest figures, TV ad spending in 2017 will total $71.65 billion, a year-over-year increase but down from the $72.72 billion predicted earlier.

• People are also spending less time in front of the TV, with the average time among US adults dropping to three hours, 58 minutes a day this year, the first time it has dropped below four hours.

TV ad spending will be lower than anticipated this year, according to eMarketer, because people are cord-cutting at a faster clip than previously expected.

According to the market-research company, TV ad spending in 2017 will expand just 0.5% to $71.65 billion, down from the $72.72 billion predicted in its first-quarter forecast for 2017. Further, it said, TV's share of total media ad spending in the US will drop to 34.9% and is expected to fall below 30% by 2021.

"eMarketer expected a slowdown this year in TV ad sales, after 2016 benefited from both the Olympics and US presidential election,” said Monica Peart, eMarketer’s senior forecasting director. “However, traditional TV advertising is slowing even more than expected, as viewers switch their time and attention to the growing list of live streaming and over-the-top [OTT] platforms."

Cord-cutters, or consumers who are opting for getting their TV via the internet rather than traditional pay TV services, are a major factor behind tempered TV ad spending. As the phenomenon gains momentum, traditional pay TV operators like Dish Network are developing their own streaming platforms such as Sling TV, networks such as HBO and ESPN are launching or planning their own standalone digital subscription services, and digital players like Hulu and YouTube are delivering live TV channels over the web at lower prices.

In fact, cord-cutting has become so prevalent that even telecommunication companies like AT&T and T-Mobile have jumped in on the action in recent weeks, offering customers bundle deals with access to streaming services like Netflix and HBO.

eMarketer has also increased its estimates for the growth in cord-cutters substantially for 2017 through 2021, saying that by 2021 the number of cord-cutters will nearly equal the number of people who have never had traditional pay TV, or "cord-nevers."

The company forecasts that there will be 22.2 million cord-cutters over the age of 18 this year, more than the 15.4 million the company had previously predicted. This figure is up 33.2% over 2016. The number of US adult cord-nevers is expected to grow 5.8% this year to 34.4 million.

"Younger audiences continue to switch to either exclusively watching OTT video or watching them in combination with free TV options," said Chris Bendtsen, the senior forecasting analyst at eMarketer. "Last year, even the Olympics and presidential elections could not prevent younger audiences from abandoning pay TV."

While eMarketer predicts that 196.3 million US adults will still watch traditional pay TV, including cable, satellite, or telco, this year, that number would be down 2.4% from 2016. By 2021, the company thinks, that total will have fallen nearly 10% compared with 2016.

US adults who watch TV are spending less time in front of the screen as well. The average time spent watching TV among US adults this year will drop 3.1% to three hours, 58 minutes a day this year, according to eMarketer, the first time it has dropped below four hours.

In contrast, digital video consumption continues to rise. US adults will consume one hour, 17 minutes of digital video this year, the company said, up 9.3% over 2016.

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: An Alabama high school 'resegregated' after years of being a model of integration — here's what happened after

The iPhone X's gorgeous display takes up almost the entire front of the phone, save for the "notch" at the very top.

We saw during Apple's September event on Tuesday how apps will look with the notch, and it doesn't look like it'll be much cause for concern. The iPhone X's large 5.8-inch display looks like it offers enough room for app content that the notch won't hide anything important.

And it doesn't look like video will be much of an issue, either. Tech YouTuber Marques Brownlee  – or MKBHD – showed in his hands-on video of the iPhone X how video will be zoomed out so that it doesn't spill over into the notch area.

And if you want to make the video fill the entire screen, including the notch area, you just double-tap the screen to zoom in.

Videos will be zoomed out by default on the iPhone X, and you'll have to double-tap the screen to zoom in, according to Creative Strategies principal Ben Bajarin.

Having the video zoomed out by default means your videos won't play at the iPhone X's full screen size, but they will play at the proper aspect ratio, meaning nothing will be hidden from view. At least you have the choice to zoom in if the notch doesn't both you while watching videos. 

SEE ALSO: 5 ways Apple's iPhone X is catching up with Android phones

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Hands-on with the new $999 Apple iPhone X

Netflix has been doing nostalgia better than just about anyone in recent years.

As the company has leaned into making its own shows, a big piece of its strategy has been reviving fan favorites like "Full House," "Arrested Development," and "Gilmore Girls." 

Given Netflix's love of data, this commitment to nostalgia makes sense.

If you can see that people keep binge-watching "Gilmore Girls" over and over again, why not make a new series? You already know there's an audience for it. (That seems to have translated into viewership, at least for the "Gilmore Girls" and "Full House" revivals).

But are these revivals any good?

To try and answer that question, we turned to reviews aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, and looked at what the critics had to say. Here's a list of shows Netflix has brought back from the dead, ranked from worst to best in critical reception, along with a short description (we excluded kids' shows). We also split the two versions of "Wet Hot American Summer" for clarity.

Nathan McAlone contributed to an earlier version of this post.

SEE ALSO: RANKED: Netflix's 5 original Marvel superhero shows, from worst to best

10. 'Fuller House' — 32%

Critic rating: 32%

Audience rating: 73%

Previous network: ABC

Netflix description: "The Tanner family's adventures continue as DJ Tanner-Fuller shares a home with her sister Stephanie and friend Kimmy who help raise her three boys."

9. 'The Killing' (Season 4) — 47%

Critic rating: 47%

Audience rating: 80%

Previous network: AMC

Netflix description: "Seattle homicide detectives Sarah Linden and Stephen Holder are deeply affected by the murders they investigate in this dark, acclaimed crime series."

8. 'Wet Hot American Summer: Ten Years Later' — 76%

Critic rating: 76%

Audience rating: 70%

Previous network: Film by USA Films

Netflix description: "A decade after their wild summer as junior counselors, the gang reunites for a weekend of bonding, hanky-panky and hair-raising adventures."

On season four of "Drunk History," the writer and star of the hit musical "Hamilton" had too much to drink (on purpose) and narrated Alexander Hamilton's story on camera.

When Lin Manuel Miranda gets drunk, he has a lot to say about Alexander Hamilton. So much so that his "Drunk History" episode was extended to accommodate all the amazing footage.

"Drunk History," created by Derek Waters and Jeremy Konner, is Comedy Central's liquored-up version of our nation's history. Comedians and actors get drunk and retell a historical event. Then A-list actors, from Michael Cera to Winona Ryder, act out the narration. 

Business Insider recently talked to the Emmy-nominated production designer of Drunk History, Chloe Arbiture for her work on Miranda's "Hamilton" episode, which is available now on Hulu.

Arbiture is the only female production designer nominated in her category. She talked about the challenges of making history visually funny and entertaining, even when it's tragic. She also told us how exciting it was to unexpectedly get nominated for an Emmy. Her nomination was so unexpected, in fact, that she had to cancel her honeymoon so she could attend the ceremony. 

SEE ALSO: Here's our predictions of who will win big at the Emmys — and who deserves to

“I get the scripts with the drunk narration, so I get an idea of all the locations, sets, action, and props, and I really focus on that as close as we can get to total historical accuracy. And then we highlight the comedy from the narration of the drunk person telling the story."

“The great thing about working on this show is the there’s so much freedom. We do get to come up with jokes. Derek [Waters] will come up to me and ask, ‘What do you think is funny?’ There’s a lot of trust that goes into it. It’s like a giant playground.”

“It’s definitely a challenge to find the comedy in the darker historical events we do. Some of the stories told on ‘Drunk History’ are unpleasant. Some are tragic events in history."

"In season four, for the Titanic episode, we had to find a way to make it informative and also funny. And [in] another season four episode we did the Stonewall Riots. We never want to make fun of the history itself — this show isn’t afraid to dig into that. We want to inform the audience but entertain them, which is where the drunk narrators come in.”

It was the tale of two studios this weekend at the multiplex: Warner Bros. continued raking in the dough with its hit movie "It" while Paramount navigated the dreaded "F" CinemaScore for the Jennifer Lawrence dud "mother!"

Following its record-breaking opening weekend last week, "It" fed off the word-of-mouth as it took in an estimated $60 million this weekend to win the box office for a second-straight weekend, according to boxofficepro.com.

The movie is performing beyond anything Warner Bros. had hoped for the $35 million-budgeted adaptation of the classic Stephen King novel, as it had only a 51% drop in sales from its monster $123.4 million opening weekend.

"It" now has a total of $218.7 million at the domestic box office. That makes the horror the highest grossing September release of all time. It broke the record — 1986's "Crocodile Dundee," $174.8 million— in just two weeks!

The only competition for "It" this weekend was "mother!," the latest WTF from Darren Aronofsky ("Requiem for a Dream," "Black Swan").

Anticipation for the auteur joining forces with Jennifer Lawrence were at a high for months, but then critics began seeing the movie and the hype began to soften. Lawrence and Javier Bardem play a couple who suddenly are visited by strangers, and from there the movie just gets more and more bizarre.

Aronofsky's work is often divisive, but general audiences for the most part just didn't get it. On Saturday the movie got an "F" from CinemaScore, the company that polls audience reaction to opening weekend movies. The movie ended the weekend with $7.5 million, well below its $11 million projection.

It's the worst opening ever for a Lawrence-led wide release movie. Even the lame horror she did early in her career, 2012's "House at the End of the Street," preformed better ($12.3 million).

SEE ALSO: Morgan Spurlock on making a "Super Size Me" sequel and why he's taking on "Big Chicken"

DON'T MISS: Jennifer Lawrence's new movie is an ambitious look at today's world, but it falls short of delivering

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: 6 details you might have missed on season 7 episode 6 of 'Game of Thrones'

German actress Diane Kruger has built an impressive career, but after working steadily for 16 years, her new movie is getting her recognition she never thought she'd ever receive.

"In the Fade," from the German filmmaker Fatih Akin, offers Kruger the chance to prove she can carry a movie — and she does just that. Kruger gives a tour-de-force performance playing Katja Sekerci, whose life collapses when her husband and son are victims of a terrorist bombing. Amid taking illegal drugs to numb the pain, Katja learns that two suspects, who turn out to be neo-Nazis, are going to trial for the bombing. That's when things get even more intense for Katja.

When Business Insider sat down with Kruger at the Toronto International Film Festival, she didn't hold back when talking about the pain she dealt with to pull off this gut-wrenching performance, which won her the best actress prize at this year's Cannes Film Festival and garnered instant Oscar buzz.

Jason Guerrasio: How did you connect with Fatih Akin? Did you know him?

Diane Kruger: No, I was just a fan. He's a big director in Germany — I grew up with his films. So when I became an actress and I left Germany 25 years ago, I always waited for this part to come out of Germany. I mean, I don't have an agent there, so I never get any offers from there. Five years ago, I was a jury member at Cannes, and he had a documentary playing there, so I went to his party to meet him. I told him I loved his work and if he ever wanted to make a movie with me, that would be amazing. So years later, he remembered and called me.

Guerrasio: Did he talk to you over the phone about the part, or did he ask if he could send the script over?

Kruger: He kind of told me what it was about, and then he said he didn't want to send me the script — he wanted to come and meet me. So he came to Paris to meet me. And I was really nervous because I didn't think, upon meeting me, that he would think that I'm right for this part. This isn't typically the part I get offered. [Laughs.] And just judging from his voice over the phone, I don't think he was 100% sure I could do it either. So he came to my house, and I wore no makeup, and I really tried to dress down and be as raw as possible, and we just had this amazing talk. And I told him I was really, really scared of this part. I told him I wasn't sure I could do it.

Guerrasio: But at the same time, was this a role you had been wishing for? Something to show your range?

Kruger: I just knew something felt right. I was really scared. Fatih told me I couldn't take another role until we shot this because he wanted me to prep for it. I mean, he is known for casting unknowns in his movies, so I think he got a lot of backlash at first for casting me. But I jumped off that cliff with him. It was a lonely time prepping for the movie. I didn't do anything else. I was living in Germany, meeting with victims of families that weren't necessarily suffering from terrorist attacks but murder and other brutal things, and I just allowed myself to be overcome by the grief that I felt.

Guerrasio: And this is the first German-produced movie you've ever starred in?

Kruger: That's right.

Guerrasio: That's surprising. Was that because you got into modeling so early in your life?

Kruger: I left when I was 16, and I wasn't an actress then.

Guerrasio: So was there a feeling with this movie that you wanted to be a part of something to show your talents to your home country?

Kruger: Yes and no. I wanted to do a German film that felt really German but also had an international presence. And Fatih, who is German but of Turkish descent, he himself has an international flavor. And this movie has such a universal feel. The focus is neo-Nazis, but it could have been jihadis, just some crazy person, whatever.

Guerrasio: I think Americans will certainly relate to this movie. The grieving mother is universal.

Kruger: Exactly.

Guerrasio: What did you want to get out of meeting victims? Did you take notes? Did you just want to interact with them?

Kruger: I guess the one thing I will never forget is that energy. More than individual stories, there was this energy that mothers especially having lost children had that I wasn't quite prepared to really take on. It was a wall of blackness. And that's regardless of how long ago it happened or how much or how little they talked to me about it — that energy was there. And it got more intense as time went on and the more people I met.

Guerrasio: How long were you talking to victims?

Kruger: I started six months before shooting started.

Guerrasio: Wow. Did it get to a point where you felt you had enough and just wanted to get started with shooting?

Kruger: Yeah. There definitely came a point where I was like, I can't take it anymore. And, unfortunately, when we started to film, my stepdad passed away. So honestly, it was probably the darkest time in my life, having to play that much grief and then coming home and feeling that on a personal level. It's a personal film because of that. We also shot in order, so you can imagine the first three weeks were just awful. There were scenes when I didn't even feel like I was acting. There were moments when I felt this movie is going to break me. I couldn't work for six months afterwards. I can still feel it.

Guerrasio: So you haven't been able to kick this character yet?

Kruger: I still dream about it. I feel like a little bit is always going to be with me. What I take away most of it is this connection with people talking about loss. The empathy I felt — and maybe because we live in a time where these stories have become so common, but I'm reminded of how many Katjas every week are being created. I sometimes just sit in front of the TV, and I just sob uncontrollably.

Guerrasio: Has doing a role like this changed the parts you want to take on going forward in your career?

Kruger: To be honest, the two films I'm working on right now I signed on before "In the Fade" came out, and I haven't taken anything since. I'm sort of debating what I want to do next.

Guerrasio: Is it hard to promote this film, seeing as you have to continue talking about the process of creating this character, which obviously wasn't pleasant?

Kruger: No, I want to. I think it's a very important film in my life. I feel it's my baby. I've never been invested in anything like this. I think it's an inspiring movie. In Cannes, which was the first time I saw it with an audience, I was so taken aback by the reaction. There must be pictures of me just looking shocked. It's weird because, in the past, people have come up to me and said they love my work, like for "Inglourious Basterds," but I feel this is my first big starring role.

"In the Fade" opens in select theaters later this year.

SEE ALSO: Morgan Spurlock on making a 'Super Size Me' sequel and why he's taking on 'Big Chicken'

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Apple announced an iPhone 8 and iPhone X — here are the most important differences

A former "Saturday Night Live" cast member said that Donald Trump's 2015 hosting appearance— an episode already fraught with controversy — was almost made worse when Trump tried to improvise his way through the show.

Improvising during the live show is considered highly inappropriate, as "SNL" alum Jon Rudnitsky told People this weekend.

"On set, he would be like, 'I’m going to riff — I’m just going to riff here,'" Rudnitsky said.

"By the way, nobody riffs on 'SNL.' Not Will Ferrell, not anybody in the history of 'SNL' has ever riffed. There are cue cards there for a reason, it's live. And he went off on the show, and you can kind of tell when he’s trying to do a thing. You’re like, 'Eh, you’re not a comedian.'"

NBC sparked controversy when it announced that Trump, then a Republican presidential candidate, was hosting the November 15 episode of the long-running sketch comedy show. Latino advocacy groups, as well as the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, protested Trump's selection in light of his comments on Mexican immigration.

The episode itself earned mostly negative reviews from critics. Ahead of the episode, Trump said he rejected a number of sketches he deemed "too risque" because he felt they could jeopardize his rising poll numbers.

But according to Rudnitsky, Trump also vetoed any sketch he felt didn't compliment him enough.

"He had trouble with the sketches, and if a sketch wasn't complimentary about him — mainly physically — he wasn’t into it," Rudnitsky told People. "He'd go, 'It's cute, but no — next.'"

"He was just onto the next if it wasn't about how great he was," he continued. "I’m totally serious. I mean, there were some really funny sketches that he just didn’t get. His sense of humor is definitely skewed."

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Here's why people are afraid of clowns — and what you can do to get over it

Live sports are often seen as the last bastion of a reliable mass audience for advertisers. But that story is getting old.

A new report on the state of sports media in the U.S. from the ad buying giant Magna Global shows that while live sports consumption remains strong, its audience keeps aging.

Among the highlights:

• Younger consumers are getting sports information like scores and quick hits on mobile devices, and are thus watching less live TV
• For example, the average age of viewers watching the NCAA basketball tournament passed 50 last year
• The NBA and soccer have managed to keep their audiences relatively young, thanks to their multicultural appeal

While there are still plenty of advertisers looking to reach middle-aged audiences, those that have typically turned to TV sports to reach younger consumer may have to start looking elsewhere.

Check out the trend toward older sports audiences in the chart below:

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Here’s how to tell if the solar eclipse ruined your vision

Political impressions have been part of comedian James Adomian's act for years, but he acknowledges that his latest hit has been received in a different way.  

"Sebastian Gorka is weird, because a lot of people don't know who he is, but the people who do know who he is are obsessed with him," Adomian told Business Insider. "People who follow the news closely all know who he is, and they love the impression."

In an era before niche political media channels, an impression of a newly-ousted White House adviser with questionable political relevance probably would have gone relatively unnoticed.

But Adomian's impression of Gorka has garnered a cult following in political media circles and on Twitter, inspiring viral tweets and making its way into Daily Beast headlines. 

The 37-year-old comedian debuted the impression on Chapo Trap House, the leftist political comedy podcast that has attracted a group of dedicated paying subscribers and seemingly endless scrutiny and criticism for the manner in which it skewers neo-liberalism.

Gorka may have had an obscure job with few responsibilities, but he was a White House figure waiting for a send-up.

A onetime Breitbart News writer with a dubious pedigree who became a pariah in the White House, Gorka was a ubiquitous presence on cable television during the initial months of the Trump administration, contemptuously sparring with hosts on CNN and MSNBC over coverage of the administration, in a thick accent, making declarations like "the era of the pajama boy is over."

A respected stand-up comedian with credits on Funny or Die and Comedy Central, Adomian has repeatedly performed viral impressions, including one of former Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura, and played Sen. Bernie Sanders during the "Trump vs. Bernie" tour and hourlong Comedy Central special on "@midnight."

But Adomian said he pitched appearing on Chapo after he first saw Gorka during an interview on television in February. He found the then-deputy assistant's political beliefs to be "really, really, really crazy and far out there," but thought he had a "hilarious" personality as he seemed to embrace his image as a villain during television interviews, smirking and taunting various anchors, hosts, and fellow panelists.

"He has an accent that's not real. He has this accent that's like 'I grew up in London but I’ve been here for 25 years,'" Adomian said. "So it sounds like this James Bond super villain, which is immediately what I thought of."

He continued: "You don't see that kind of goatee and menacing sneer in public figures who want to be taken as a good guy. Most people are like, 'Hey I might not be attractive but at least I'm going to look positive.' And Sebastian Gorka is like, 'I'm here as a snarling elitist.'"

Like many comedians, Adomian has both enjoyed satirizing a Trump acolyte, yet been troubled by the ascension of the administration's political values.

Gorka's ties to a far-right anti-Semitic group in Hungary, estrangement from even the hawkish Republican foreign policy circles, and gleeful, counter-intuitive defense of President Donald Trump's decisions have disturbed Adomian, who has embraced left-wing politics in his comedy.

"He's outside in a direction which is very disturbing, which is he's to the right of the foreign policy establishment," he said. "Which is insane, because they're already right-wing psychos who fetishize about overthrowing governments and stuff like that. He's to the right of them to the point where they don't like him."

"I think it's important to make fun of people like him."

Other podcasters and media personalities have given Gorka a try to lesser success.

Jon Lovett, a co-host of popular Obama-alumni podcast Pod Save America, has tried his Gorka impression occasionally, but admitted Adomian's impression was better. So did MSNBC's Chris Hayes, a former thespian who briefly tried out his impression last week when reporting on how the Secret Service banned Gorka from using his pass to enter the White House.

Though Trump's ascension to the presidency has presented "golden opportunities" for comedians to capitalize on the folly of the Trump administration, some critics have remained unimpressed with television comedy, which liberals remember fondly as a place of cultural refuge during President George W. Bush's administration.

The political comedy of "Saturday Night Live" has boosted the show's ratings, undermined some administration members' credibility in the White House, and seemed to get under the president's skin, but some critics have reportedly found the actual writing material hollow.

Late-night comedy hosts like Stephen Colbert and Seth Meyers have experienced cable ratings bumps and created a glut of instantly viral material, but other hosts have opted for liberal catharsis and cheap jokes, and some of the most powerful moments of late-night comedy in the Trump era have been when hosts dropped comedic pretense altogether.

He argued that alternate media forms like political comedy podcasts have helped amplify more transgressive and interesting comedy that wouldn’t be allowed on cable and network television because of standards and practices offices and political timidity.

"You can make easy jokes, you can make stupid jokes, you can be very silly, and they do that, and it's very fun," Adomian said. "But I think you should have the true skill as a comedian and satirist to draw blood while appearing to be silly. That is a power that comedy has that is not being allowed on television, it's happening on the internet and it's happening in live comedy."

Though he acknowledged that fans have been disappointed by Gorka's resignation from a comedic perspective, Adomian argued that he'll probably keep doing the impression as long as Gorka continues to appear on cable television.

"People think he's going away, he's not going away," Adomian said.

Gorka did not respond to Business Insider's request for comment on whether he'd seen the impression.

SEE ALSO: 'Overwhelmed' journalists are jumping in to rescue those trapped by Hurricane Harvey as people are 'sending addresses and desperately looking for help'

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Steve Bannon: Firing Comey was the biggest mistake in 'modern political history'

The 69th Primetime Emmy Awards are underway, and some of the biggest names in the television industry and entertainment world have made appearances on the red carpet.

Millie Bobby Brown, Jessica Biel and Tracee Ellis Ross were among the many stars who posed for photographers outside of Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, where this year's show is taking place. 

Check out the biggest stars of the 2017 Emmys red carpet below:

SEE ALSO: The Emmys are Sunday, and Netflix, HBO, and 'SNL' lead the way — here are all the nominees

Millie Bobby Brown

Tracee Ellis Ross

Claire Foy and Matt Smith

The 69th Primetime Emmy Awards, hosted by Stephen Colbert, are underway at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles.

HBO's "Westworld" and NBC's "Saturday Night Live" went into the show with the most nominations, and Netflix's original productions had a strong showing as well. There are tons of costars competing against each other, and there's a lot more room for other shows to win with "Game of Thrones" being ineligible this year.

Early on in the night, John Lithgow snagged a win for his portrayal of Winston Churchill in Netflix's "The Crown," and Laura Dern won for her work in HBO's "Big Little Lies."

We'll be updating this list of winners as the Emmy awards continue throughout the night, so check back for all the winners.

Below are the winners of the night's awards: 

SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES

Uzo Aduba, "Orange Is the New Black"

Millie Bobby Brown, "Stranger Things"

Ann Dowd, "The Handmaid's Tale" *WINNER*

Chrissy Metz, "This Is Us"

Thandie Newton, "Westworld"

Samira Wiley, "The Handmaid's Tale"

SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A LIMITED SERIES OR MOVIE

Bill Camp, "The Night Of"

Alfred Molina, "Feud: Bette and Joan"

Alexander Skarsgard, "Big Little Lies" *WINNER*

David Thewlis, "Fargo"

Stanley Tucci, "Feud: Bette and Joan"

Michael Kenneth Williams, "The Night Of"

SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES

Louie Anderson, "Baskets"

Alec Baldwin, "Saturday Night Live" *WINNER*

Tituss Burgess, "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt"

Ty Burrell, "Modern Family"

Tony Hale, "Veep"

Matt Walsh, "Veep"

VARIETY SKETCH SERIES

“Billy On The Street” (truTV)

“Documentary Now!” (IFC)

“Drunk History” (Comedy Central)

“Portlandia” (IFC)

“Saturday Night Live” (NBC) *WINNER*

“Tracey Ullman’s Show” (HBO)

SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A LIMITED SERIES OR MOVIE

Judy Davis, "Feud"

Laura Dern, "Big Little Lies" *WINNER*

Jackie Hoffman, "Feud: Bette and Joan"

Regina King, "American Crime"

Michelle Pfeiffer, "The Wizard of Lies"

Shailene Woodley, "Big Little Lies"

SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES

Vanessa Bayer, "Saturday Night Live"

Anna Chlumsky, "Veep"

Kathryn Hahn, "Transparent"

Leslie Jones, "Saturday Night Live"

Judith Light, "Transparent"

Kate McKinnon, "Saturday Night Live" *WINNER*

SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES

Jonathan Banks, "Better Call Saul"

Ron Cephas Jones, "This Is Us"

David Harbour, "Stranger Things"

Michael Kelly, "House of Cards"

John Lithgow, "The Crown" *WINNER*

Mandy Patinkin, "Homeland"

Jeffrey Wright, "Westworld"

DRAMA SERIES

"Better Call Saul"

"The Crown"

"The Handmaid's Tale"

"House of Cards"

"This Is Us"

"Westworld"

COMEDY SERIES

"Atlanta"

"Black-ish"

"Master of None"

"Modern Family"

"Silicon Valley"

"Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt"

"Veep"

LIMITED SERIES

"Fargo"

"Feud: Bette and Joan"

"Genius"

"The Night Of"

"Big Little Lies"

LEAD ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES

Sterling K. Brown, "This Is Us"

Anthony Hopkins, "Westworld"

Bob Odenkirk, "Better Call Saul"

Matthew Rhys, "The Americans"

Liev Schrieber, "Ray Donovan"

Kevin Spacey, "House of Cards"

Milo Ventimiglia, "This Is Us"

LEAD ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES

Viola Davis, "How to Get Away With Murder"

Claire Foy, "The Crown"

Elisabeth Moss, "The Handmaid's Tale"

Keri Russell, "The Americans"

Evan Rachel Wood, "Westworld"

Robin Wright, "House of Cards"

LEAD ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES

Anthony Anderson, "Black-ish"

Aziz Ansari, "Master of None"

Zach Galifianakis, "Baskets"

Donald Glover, "Atlanta"

William H. Macy, "Shameless"

Jeffrey Tambor, "Transparent"

LEAD ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES

Pamela Adlon, "Better Things"

Jane Fonda, "Gracie & Frankie"

Alison Janney, "Mom"

Ellie Kemper, "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt"

Julia Louis-Dreyfus, "Veep"

Tracee Ellis Ross, "Black-ish"

Lily Tomlin, "Gracie & Frankie"

LEAD ACTOR IN A LIMITED SERIES OR MOVIE

Benedict Cumberbatch, "Sherlock"

Robert DeNiro, "Wizard of Lies"

Ewan McGregor, "Fargo"

Geoffrey Rush, "Genius"

John Turturro, "The Night Of"

Riz Ahmed, "The Night Of"

LEAD ACTRESS IN A LIMITED SERIES OR MOVIE

Carrie Koon, "The Leftovers"

Felicity Hoffman, "American Crime"

Nicole Kidman, "Big Little Lies"

Jessica Lange, "Feud: Bette and Joan"

Susan Sarandon, "Feud: Bette and Joan"

Reese Witherspoon, "Big Little Lies"

REALITY COMPETITION PROGRAM

"The Amazing Race"

"American Ninja Warrior"

"Project Runway"

"Rupaul's Drag Race"

"Top Chef"

"The Voice"

VARIETY TALK SERIES

"Full Frontal with Samantha Bee"

"Jimmy Kimmel Live"

"Last Week Tonight with John Oliver"

"The Late Late Show with James Corden"

"The Late Show with Stephen Colbert"

"Real Time with Bill Maher"

SEE ALSO: Here are the best looks from the 2017 Emmys red carpet

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: A popular 'Game of Thrones' fan theory says Bran is the Night King — here's why

2017 Emmy Awards host Stephen Colbert threw a little bit of everything at us to kick off the night.

From a song and dance that proclaimed "Everything is better on TV," in which he jumped around and danced with the cast of some of the past year's hits like "This Is Us" and "Stranger Things," to getting on stage and throwing out the one-liners, Colbert gradually built up the fierceness of the jokes. 

There was the joke on how all the HBO wins tonight should be melted down and used for the ransom of next year's HBO hack, poking fun at the recent hack in the midst of season seven of "Game of Thrones."

And while celebrating the diversity of this year's nominees, he also threw out late night host Bill Maher's name.

"I’m assuming he’s black he’s so comfortable using the N word," joked Colbert, touching on Maher's use of the word on his show over the summer.

But Colbert kept his A material to go after his favorite, President Trump.

Colbert particularly focused on the idea that Trump's run for president may never have happened if the Emmys just gave him an Emmy win for his show, "The Apprentice."

"Unlike the presidency, Emmys go to the winner of the popular vote," Colbert said, referring to Trump's opponent Hillary Clinton, who won the popular vote in the presidential election.

However, Colbert saved the best for last, as he brought out former White House press secretary Sean Spicer to proclaim that this year's Emmys telecast will be the most watched of all time. The appearance of Spicer had everyone, including the person who played him on "Saturday Night Live," Melissa McCarthy, in total shock.

SEE ALSO: Behind-the-scenes photos of celebrities getting ready for the 2017 Emmys

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: 6 details you might have missed on season 7 episode 6 of 'Game of Thrones'

Former White House press secretary Sean Spicer surprised the audience at the Emmys Sunday night when host Stephen Colbert brought him on stage during the opening monologue. 

"Unfortunately, at this point tonight there's no way to know how big this audience is. I mean is there anyone who can say how big the audience is? Sean do you know?" Colbert asked during his monologue, beckoning Spicer to the stage.

Spicer came onto the Emmy stage behind a mock White House press podium to announce, “This is the largest audience to witness the Emmys, period. Both in person and around the world.”

The joke is in reference to when Spicer said that Trump's inauguration had the largest audience to ever witness an inauguration  — which was not, in fact, accurate. The Los Angeles Times reported that 30.6 million viewers tuned in to watch the broadcasted inauguration. That's seven million fewer viewers than Obama had for his in 2009. And Trump's inauguration didn't come close to beating the record for the most-viewed presidential inauguration. That record is held by President Reagan, whose inauguration garnered 48.1 million viewers in 1981. 

(The Atlantic also has a good side-by-side photo comparing the crowd at Trump's inauguration to the crowd at Obama's first inauguration.) 

The Emmy audience was shocked at Spicer's appearance, especially Melissa McCarthy, who impersonated Spicer on "Saturday Night Live" multiple times last season. 

"Melissa McCarthy everybody. Give it up," Colbert said as Spicer exited the stage, a nod to McCarthy's recurring impersonation of Spicer.

McCarthy wasn't the only one surprised. Viewers had mixed reactions to Spicer's presence at the Emmys that ranged from outrage to amusement.

Here are some of the top reactions to Spicer's presence on the award show:

SEE ALSO: Here are the best looks from the 2017 Emmys red carpet

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: 6 details you might have missed on the season 7 finale of 'Game of Thrones'

Despite 91 nominations at the 2017 Emmys, Netflix will once again not be taking home the top prize of the evening: best drama series. And to add a little salt to the wound, one of its streaming rivals took the prize.

With Hulu's "The Handmaid's Tale" winning the big award of the Emmys, it has made history by becoming the first streaming service to win the category. And it has to bug the Netflix brass just a little. 

Though Netflix has had over 200 Emmy nominations since 2013, it's found little success when it comes to the main categories. In fact, its biggest wins ever have been best supporting actor (Ben Mendelsohn in "Bloodline," 2016) and best supporting actress (Uzo Aduba in "Orange is the New Black," 2015).

On Sunday, "The Handmaid's Tale" also won lead actress (Elisabeth Moss), supporting actress (Ann Dowd), and best directing drama series (Reed Morano).

For Netflix, "The Crown" found recognition in the supporting actor for a drama series category, as John Lithgow won for his portrayal of Winston Churchill, and "Black Mirror: San Junipero" won for outstanding TV movie and outstanding writing for a limited series, movie, or dramatic special.

SEE ALSO: Stephen Colbert went after Trump in his Emmys opener, and gave us some song and dance

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: 6 details you might have missed on season 7 episode 6 of 'Game of Thrones'

HBO beat out all other networks in the final awards tally at the 2017 Emmy Awards, though streaming services Netflix and Hulu both came through with strong showings.

HBO's "Big Little Lies" and Hulu's "The Handmaid's Tale" tied for the second most awards with eight wins each — one win behind perennial Emmy giant "Saturday Night Live."

"The Handmaid's Tale" became the first streaming-service original show to win for best drama series, and it also won for lead actress (Elisabeth Moss), supporting actress (Ann Dowd), director (Reed Morano), and four others. 

Here's how the wins broke down by networks with two or more wins (via Variety):

HBO 29
Netflix 20
NBC 15
Hulu 10
ABC 7
FX Networks 6
Fox 5
Adult Swim 4
CBS 4
A&E 3
VH1 3
Amazon 2
BBC America 2
ESPN 2
National Geographic 2

And here's the final win tally by programs with two or more wins:

“Saturday Night Live” 9
“Big Little Lies” 8
“The Handmaid’s Tale” 8
“Stranger Things” 5
“The Night Of” 5
“Veep” 5
“Westworld” 5
“13th” 4
“Last Week Tonight” 4
“Samurai Jack” 4
“Hairspray Live” 3
“RuPaul’s Drag Race” 3
“The Crown ” 4
“Atlanta” 2
“Black Mirror: San Junipero” 2
“Born This Way” 2
“Dancing With the Stars” 2
“Feud: Bette and Joan” 2
“Master of None” 2
“O.J.: Made in America” 2
“Planet Earth II” 2
“The Beatles: Eight Days a Week” 2
“This Is Us” 2

SEE ALSO: Hulu pulled off something Netflix has never been able to do at the Emmys

SEE ALSO: Here are all the winners at the 2017 Emmys

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: 6 details you might have missed on the season 7 finale of 'Game of Thrones'